[Excerpt] the Trouble with Hate is...

Chapter Four

Lani

As the weekend passed and we headed into the next week, I worried less about Brett.

Casper was right; they were eighteen year old idiots who had an insane urge to constantly show off to their friends and admirers and keep themselves at the top of the food chain. Just because Brett had decided to be a wanker and drink at school wasn't a sign of anything more than him being a dick.

So by Wednesday, the lingering worry hung at the back of my head, but I'd pushed it aside and decided to just enjoy School Dance with Luke.

We were practising a class piece while our teacher, Miss Lyons, watched on and beat out the count with her hands. Luke and I were paused for a moment, my back to his front and his arms around my stomach, while we waited for our count.

"You ready?" he whispered in my ear and I shook my head, trying not to freak out that he was so close.

"No!"

I felt his chuckle vibrate through my back. "We'll get it this time, I'm sure."

I rolled my eyes but bent my knees in preparation. Luke flipped me up and over his shoulder and I somehow managed to land on my feet. I was a little unsteady, but it was the first time I hadn't fallen.

Luke turned, a huge grin spreading across his face. The two of us got picked for these sorts of things all the time because he was the best male dancer and I was the smallest girl in the class who didn't mind being thrown around. We both threw our arms in the air with cries of glee and I heard Miss Lyons sigh.

"While I'm glad we've stuck it, let's keep going next time," she said with a smile and stopped the music. She clapped her hands twice. "All right, everyone, from the top."

After that, we stuck more landings than we lost, and the rest of the lesson went smoothly.

"That was amazing!" Luke was laughing as we pushed our way out of the main studio. "I never thought we'd get it!"

I smiled. "We always get it, Luke! Sometimes it just takes longer."

He chuckled and nodded, putting an arm around my shoulder for a second. "That we do. We make a pretty great team."

"Well, we move well together. Let's not get too excited," I answered, willing away the heat in my cheeks.

"We do. We move well together, it's undeniable. Maybe we should do the Latin Dance assignment together?" he said and there was a cleared throat ahead of us.

"Luke." Hannah had her arms crossed and was obviously looking for some sort of explanation. Although, for what, I didn't know.

"Hey, babe!' Luke grinned, absolutely unfazed by the extreme displeasure on his girlfriend's face. "You should have seen it! Lani and I–"

"That's great, babe," Hannah cut in with a sugary sweet tone. "But, we're going to be late."

I rolled my eyes, not really knowing how you could be late to sit at your table at lunch, and stepped away from Luke. I might have had a crush on him, but I wasn't stupid enough to hit on him so that he or his girlfriend would notice.

"I'll see you in English, Luke," I said with a nod.

"Yeah, see ya, Lani," he called cheerfully, then put his arm around Hannah and they walked off. But, not without a glare from Hannah over her shoulder.

"What's up her butt now?" Bec asked, appearing beside me and brandishing her water bottle like a sword.

"Luke for all I know."